Welcome to the Loving Kindness Meditation.
We will do this meditation for loved ones and benefactors.
Take a moment to let your body settle in a comfortable sitting position.
Relax the whole body.
Keep the head,
Neck and back erect but not rigid.
Keep the hands comfortably placed on the lap or on the knees.
Intentionally,
Cultivate an attitude of patience,
Gentleness and kindness towards yourself.
Allow your eyes to gently close and tune in to the feeling of the breath flowing in and out of the body.
Focus your attention on the sensation of the breath moving past the nostrils or on the sensation of the breath moving into the belly,
Lifting it during each in-breath and receding gently on each out-breath.
Follow the breath as it comes in and goes out.
Find comfort in your posture and settle into it.
As you sit up with dignity as a mountain,
Allow your body to be as soft and relaxed as possible.
With every out-breath,
Let your body become more soft and more relaxed.
Now,
Call to mind someone you love.
Someone who has helped you.
Someone for whom a sense of care,
Love and goodwill naturally arises in your heart.
Perhaps it can be your partner,
Your parents,
Your children,
Your grandchildren or even pets.
Bring them here.
Get an image of them.
Say their names to yourself.
Get a feeling of their presence and offer the phrases of loving kindness to them,
Wishing for them what you wish for yourself.
I will now repeat some traditional phrases of loving kindness.
In the short period of silence that follows each phrase,
Repeat it a few times to yourself and do this with all your heart.
Start with a small flame of the intent behind each phrase.
Attend to it and nurture it.
Slowly get more fuel for the tender feeling that arises in your heart as you offer loving kindness to the chosen people and allow that feeling to expand and to gain momentum.
If you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Gently bring it back to this practice.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be happy.
May you live with ease.
May you be peaceful.
Repeat these phrases to yourself and towards the loved ones or benefactors you have chosen to send your loving kindness.
Do this with all your heart.
Get more fuel for the tender feeling that arises in your heart as you offer loving kindness and allow it to expand and to gain momentum.
If you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Gently bring it back to this practice.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be peaceful.
May you be peaceful.
May you live with ease.
Now,
Bring to mind all the people whom you have ever loved or cared for in any role or capacity.
Call to mind all the people who have ever helped you.
All the people for whom a sense of care,
Love and goodwill naturally arises in your heart.
Bring all of them here.
You need not name them.
Please get an image and feeling of their presence.
Now offer the phrases of loving kindness to them wishing for all of them what you wish for yourself.
May you all be happy.
May you all be peaceful.
May you be peaceful.
May you all live with ease.
We now come to an end of this meditation.
When you are ready,
You can open your eyes.
